Vegetarianism, sports nutrition, and extra servings

[Mojo Jojo]

Being ovo-lacto vegetarian, I'm wondering if there is wiggle room on the recommendation of cheese and nuts. I'm especially interested in cottage cheese as I've read about use as an alternative to a protein supplement and many weight lifters will eat some before lifting and again before bed, usually with some peanut butter. I believe that my workouts warrent additional nutrition.

On the other hand, I'm curious about whey protein supplements because I loved them when I was younger. Would a whey supplement count as dairy and is there a realistic guideline on an appropriate amount of protein before (and after) a workout?

While on the subject, would it be advisable to skip the fruit with breakfast if I had some prior to working out before breakfast?

Thanks,

Jon

[Mojo Jojo]

The more I think about it, the more I think I'll go with whey before my workouts instead of cottage cheese. I'm really thinking it shouldn't be counted as a dairy serving and I wouldn't have to be bothered with worrying about going over the sbd cheese guidelines. Because its pretty much just protein, I can save the nuts for another snack in the day and stay in that guideline as well.

[shannypoo]

Hi! I am pescatarian and also wonder the same thing sometimes regarding the wiggle room with cheese and nuts. I also wonder sometimes about beans. I eat beans with one meal a day and eat fish probably 3 times a week. I would like to cut it back all together, but am doing it gradually.

It looks as though you have been on SB for quite sometime now and you have lost a tremendous amount of weight, so you seem to have a pretty good handle on what to eat and when. Several years ago I lost 75 on SB and was lifting weights too. I generally would have some egg whites and cottage cheese before my workout with about 3 cups of coffee. After my workout I would have a whey protein shake with greek yogurt and lots of berries. This carried me to lunch pretty well. When I was working out as hardcore as I was, I didnt worry so much about eating a biut more cheese or nuts. I hope to get back to that point. Its alot easier when I was in my 20's

Congrats though on your weightloss and healthy lifestyle!!!

[Mojo Jojo]

Thanks.

I'm running into a problem because the more I read about sports nugrition, the more confused I get, especially when trying to look at everything through SBD lenses.

Here's my dilemma. I workout 1 hour after working out and am not sure what to eat as soon as I wake up. I was thinking protein, but most of what I've read is that you need the protein right after working out and that it take a couple of hours to digest and benefit from anyway and that me drinking a whey protein shake after waking, an hour before working out is a waste. The other option, and one that I've read alot is to have carbs before working out for energy and to make sure glyogen isn't depleted, causing the body to feed on fat and muscle. Sooo, question is should I have some berries alone before working out or is that going to cause blood sugar issue? Should I pair it with some protein anyways? Should I rearrange my entire breakfast/preworkout snack?

Here are givens:

Wakeup
30 min yoga
20 min meditation
5 min drive to park/gym
40 min weights or jogging
5 min drive home
Shower
Preparing preworkout snack, breakfast, lunch, and 2 snacks
Go to work

I have 3.5 hours from the time my alarm clock sounds till I clock in at work.

I need to eat my foods in a way that best fuels my body before and after working out within these time constraints.

Combined, preworkout snack consists of the following:

1/3 cup oatbran cooked in 1 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup beans
1 serving fruit
2 eggs
1 scoop whey protein (30 grams protein, no added sugar)

Please help me separate out something to eat before working out at the best time possible to get the nutrition when I need it and it is available from digestion. The rest will be breakfast which should also be considered my post exercise meal.

Thanks,

Jon

ps...there is some flexibility in the order of my morning activities. Yoga comes before my workout though. I just do better with my workout if the stretching comes first. I don't want to meditate on a full stomach but some food is ok before I suppose but empty is also ok.

[bethy]

I am the LAST person in the world to know about this. I exercise in a Pool with a bunch of other gimps. And I imagine you can find enough conflicting advice to last you a lifetime. But I read your question and "carbs before and protein after" popped into my head. I think that's the standard line. Anyway I googled "eating before and after a workout" and the Mayo Clinic advice came up first and seemed clear and logical and gave details. (Just in case you haven't googled it that way.)
Kudos on your health and new Mojo!

[shannypoo]

I think you are looking for a more scientific answer for exactly how you can fuel your body for optimum use. I cant answer that. If you workout at a gym...maybe sit down with a trainer or a nutritionist. I just pretty much did what I felt gace me the best results. I didnt like to workout with a feeling of food in my stomach, so I know much of the fuel I was running on was my coffee. Also many times I would alternate and have a high protien/ breakfast bar. I seemed to really do well with the Myoplex brand. You can get em at GNC. Pre-workout I would choose one that actually had some carbs in it.

Then after workout if I didnt have a big smoothie, I would make a big veggie egg white omlette and add 1 whole egg to it. Sometimes also 2 slices of flax meal bread with a light amount of almond butter and a banana would be my after workout breakfast. I guess when I was eating like that I was working out so intensely, so it almost didnt matter what I put in my body for breakfast. However, when you workout, you usually want to eat healthier

Anyway,,,,like I said, maybe get soem advice from a nutritionist. Or scour around on-line for work out/ meal programs. I know your vegetarian like me, do you eat any of the morningstar breakfast sausage? Its actaully pretty good. I crumble it up in my eggwhites a lot.

BTW- I have heard my trainer say that it is a good idea to have a protien shake before bed as a snack. As you know, when your lifting weight and working out intensely, you build muscle in your sleep. I can only think that having a shake before bed , might help you in the morning with your workout:0

~Shanny

[Mojo Jojo]

my last snack of the day recently has been 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with 1 tablespoon peanut butter, some cocoa powder, and some fruit.

[shellyrbil]

I get up at 4 am to do my work out. I have tried both ways....eating good fiber/carbs before workout but for me, working out before eating works best. I start with hand weights and ab workout (about 15-20 minutes) then do a cross training workout or power walk (60 minutes). When I am done working out, I drink whey protein with 35 calorie unsweetened almond milk. The protein is meant to heal muscle and the workout/protein keeps me energized and full all morning until lunch. (I used to eat Atkins advantage protein bars after my workout - but if you remember my previous post - I threw all those away because I couldn't stop at eating one! Yeah!) Good luck to you. You are inspiring me. I have been working out faithfully, every day except Sunday, for 3 years. During Lent, I have not been getting up for the workout - long, personal story but wanted to spend more time with my family in the evenings for awhile. (I teach, so had to go to bed early to get up at 4) I am looking forward to starting back to my workout routine after Easter. Good luck to you. You have accomplished much. Shelly

[bec]

I have read all the information about the glycogen filling, carb eating before workout information. Lots of experimentation has taught me that I really need to have some protein to go along with it. If I have just carbs, I tend to cramp, and that is no fun. If I have enough time (generally more than an hour), an egg sandwich is a good preworkout fuel for me. If I don't have time, a banana with peanut butter is a good quick fix! Or a PB sandwich.

[Kimboroni]

Your body needs carbs after working out as well, not just protein: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=101078

[Mojo Jojo]

Your body needs carbs after working out as well, not just protein: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=101078

I posted my routine on a running forum and was told that I probably don't need to be concerned with a preworkout snack at my current level and since my jogging routine is harder than my weight lifting routine, I'm betting the same holds true for that as well. I think perhaps my ego was trying to rationalize more food. I suppose I need to put my ego in check.